Chat with Greg Fridman
Claim This Podcastby Gregory Fridman
Podcast Overview
<p>I'm Greg Fridman, a PhD in Bioengineering and an expert in non-equilibrium plasmas. This channel is a space for direct chats about the things that actually matter: the future of biotech, the fascinating physics of plasmas, and the unfiltered reality of the scientific life. No jargon, no gatekeeping—just the science. Subscribe to join the conversation as we explore how bioengineering is reshaping our world and what it’s really like to work at the edge of discovery.</p>
Language
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Publishing Since
2/20/2026
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Recent Episodes
August 13, 2026
Cryogenic Engineers in Plasma: 0 Kelvin on One Side, Millions of Degrees on the Other
<p>A viewer asked: are cryogenic engineers often found in the plasma industry, and what would they do there? Short answer: not in my part of the field. But there is one place where they're essential, and it happens to be the most extreme engineering job you can pick.</p><p>⏱️ Chapters</p><p>00:00 The question: cryogenic engineers in the plasma industry?</p><p>00:07 Quick intro, Greg Friedman, plasma bioengineer</p><p>00:24 The viewer's question in full</p><p>00:41 Reframing: plasma is the 4th state of matter, not "an industry"</p><p>00:43 It's like saying "the liquid industry" or "the solid industry"</p><p>01:15 Most commodity plasma work is atmospheric pressure (cheapest option)</p><p>01:31 Ag, medicine, environmental remediation: no cryo needed</p><p>01:45 Where cryogenic temperatures do become essential</p><p>02:01 Fusion is the exception</p><p>02:03 Fusion people are a different discipline from plasma people</p><p>02:26 Superconducting magnets cooled with cryogenic systems</p><p>02:39 Near zero Kelvin on one side of the wall</p><p>02:46 Multi-million degree plasma on the other side of the same wall</p><p>02:57 If I had to do it all over again, I'd consider fusion</p><p>03:15 The lowest and highest temperatures humanity can make, one wall apart</p><p>03:55 What I actually am: atmospheric-pressure plasma chemist</p><p>04:11 Why I avoid low pressure (expensive pumps and chambers)</p><p>04:32 Why I avoid high pressure (30+ atmospheres is another kind of expensive)</p><p>04:41 Where I actually work: plasma for agriculture, PFAS cleaning, commodity applications</p><p>04:49 Cost minimization and robustness</p><p>04:57 Skills required to enter the field</p><p>05:05 Find good schools, find advisors</p><p>05:12 My PhD had 7 advisors (yes, you can do that)</p><p>05:22 The hack: tell advisor #1 you're with #2, tell #2 you're with #3, take the day off</p><p>05:29 Have multiple mentors, ask them for guidance</p><p>05:32 Not the easiest field. Rewarding when it works.</p><p>05:43 If I'd studied fusion instead of ag tech and sewer water, I could be designing reactors</p><p>05:52 …which is what I'm working on now</p><p>05:59 Can't talk about it until the patent is granted</p><p>06:10 It's running at about 1 Kelvin. So yes, we'll need cryogenic engineers.</p><p>06:15 Wrap-up, thanks for the question, post more in the comments</p><p>If you're a student choosing a field, an engineer thinking about a career pivot, or you've ever wondered why fusion feels different from the rest of plasma, this is the episode.</p><p>🔔 Subscribe for more in the "Can Plasma?" series: @gregfridman</p><p>#PlasmaScience #FusionEnergy #CryogenicEngineering #Careers #Engineering #PlasmaPhysics #PhD #Fusion #IndustrialEngineering</p>
August 11, 2026
Can Plasma Make Food Safer? 10,000 Papers Say Yes. Here's How.
<p>Next in the "Can Plasma?" series: can plasma make food safer? Yes. And it's a Pandora's box, with over 10,000 Google Scholar papers on the topic. Let me classify it for you, then share my favorite application: pre-loaded antimicrobial ice on your strawberries.</p><p>⏱️ Chapters</p><p>00:00 A very broad question, a shallow dive today</p><p>00:10 Quick intro, Greg Friedman, plasma bioengineer</p><p>00:32 Let's classify. Three plasma types plus food types.</p><p>00:40 Non-equilibrium atmospheric-pressure cold plasmas</p><p>01:03 Type 1: Dry plasma in humid air (cheapest option)</p><p>01:10 Antimicrobial: biofilms, bacteria, fungal spores, mold, viruses</p><p>01:36 Type 2: Moist plasma with water droplets, vapor, or alcohol</p><p>01:49 Boosted OH radicals and hydrogen peroxide production</p><p>02:14 Type 3: Plasma-treated liquid as a bleach replacement</p><p>02:22 Foods that need each: dry grains, coffee, spices (dry only); milk, eggs (low temp)</p><p>03:04 The full food chain: harvest, chill, transport, package</p><p>03:13 Bird poop on lettuce: plasma at the source</p><p>03:38 Yuma, Arizona harvest at 100°F, rapid chilling, cross-contamination risk</p><p>04:04 Plasma coatings on the packaging itself</p><p>04:24 Plasma gel developed for the diaper under raw chicken (kills salmonella on contact)</p><p>04:51 My favorite application coming up</p><p>05:36 Plasma-treated water droplets carry hydrogen peroxide and peroxynitrite</p><p>05:56 Fly them through a freezer with strawberries</p><p>06:02 Droplets freeze on the berries as snowflakes and ice</p><p>06:17 Antimicrobials sit dormant while frozen</p><p>06:25 On defrost, they release and kill any surface bacteria as the fruit thaws</p><p>06:55 You eat safe, freshly defrosted strawberries</p><p>07:06 The broader field: over 10,000 papers on Google Scholar</p><p>07:22 Wrap-up, ask specific food safety questions in the comments</p><p>If you work in food processing, packaging, agriculture, cold chain, or food safety regulation, this is the map episode. The chicken diaper and strawberry ice examples are ready to steal.</p><p>🔔 Subscribe for more in the "Can Plasma?" series: @gregfridman</p><p>#CanPlasma #PlasmaScience #FoodSafety #FoodProcessing #Agriculture #Sterilization #FoodTech #ColdChain #Packaging #PlasmaChemistry</p>
August 8, 2026
Gloriously Dumb "Can Plasma?" Questions: The Animals Round
<p>Round 3 of the Gloriously Dumb series. I had Claude scout my channel and generate the silliest "Can Plasma?" questions it could invent. Today's category: Animals. Four questions. Three actually had real answers, and there's a Caribbean mosquito-zapper story you'll want to hear.</p><p>⏱️ Chapters</p><p>00:00 Quick note on embracing AI (before we dive in)</p><p>00:26 AI scouted my channel for silly questions again</p><p>00:39 Round 3: Animals. No prep, just answering as I go.</p><p>00:49 Quick intro, Greg Friedman, plasma bioengineer</p><p>01:09 Four questions in the Animals category</p><p>01:13 Q1: Can plasma make a dog smarter?</p><p>01:20 Dog training whistles: inaudible to humans, audible to dogs</p><p>01:36 Plasma frequency is also inaudible to humans, audible to dogs</p><p>01:40 My lab dog always runs away when I turn on plasma</p><p>02:02 Plasma-to-LED training progression: sound cue then light cue then just light</p><p>02:16 Yes, indirectly, plasma can make a dog smarter</p><p>02:26 Q2: Can plasma stop a cat from knocking things off tables?</p><p>02:43 Tuned plasma can deliver a mild shock (like a plasma toy)</p><p>03:01 A plasma coaster the cat learns to avoid</p><p>03:09 Hydrophilic coatings to help things stick to the table better</p><p>03:26 Where did AI even come up with this one? Definitely gloriously dumb.</p><p>03:33 Verdict: plasma can't really solve this one</p><p>03:38 Q3: Can plasma repel mosquitoes?</p><p>03:47 Two angles here</p><p>03:59 Angle 1: plasma-charge mosquito spray droplets so they stick to skin more uniformly</p><p>04:20 Angle 2: the bug zapper. UV lamps and plasma zappers.</p><p>04:38 The Amazon tennis-racket plasma zapper (a few bucks)</p><p>04:51 A Caribbean Airbnb story: 26 mosquitoes in one evening</p><p>05:12 That's kill, not repel. Direct repel via plasma sound? Not sure.</p><p>05:19 What plasma can do: deposit repellent coatings more uniformly</p><p>05:41 Q4: Can plasma make fish glow brighter?</p><p>05:48 (Thanks, Claude)</p><p>05:54 GFP (green fluorescent protein) fluoresces in UV</p><p>06:18 Plasma produces lots of UV, so yes, it can charge fluorescent proteins</p><p>06:35 Same logic as the old glow-in-the-dark watch dials</p><p>06:52 UV lamps get dirty, plasma sources don't (no moving parts)</p><p>07:09 These aren't that dumb. AI is surprisingly good at edge-case questions.</p><p>07:15 Where plasma UV beats lamp UV (durability, no moving parts)</p><p>07:28 Where lamps beat plasma UV (cost, broad spectrum, sun)</p><p>07:52 Wrap-up, keep sending your questions, I read all of them</p><p>If you're a dog owner, mosquito-hater, biologist, or you just enjoyed the first two rounds of Gloriously Dumb (Food & Kitchen, Personal & Grooming), this is your continuation.</p><p>🔔 Subscribe for more in the "Can Plasma?" series: @gregfridman</p><p>#CanPlasma #GloriouslyDumb #PlasmaScience #AI #Claude #Animals #Mosquitoes #GFP #SciComm</p>
84 total episodes available
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- What is Chat with Greg Fridman?
<p>I'm Greg Fridman, a PhD in Bioengineering and an expert in non-equilibrium plasmas. This channel is a space for direct chats about the things that actually matter: the future of biotech, the fascinating physics of plasmas, and the unfiltered reality of the scientific life. No jargon, no gatekeeping—just the science. Subscribe to join the conversation as we explore how bioengineering is reshaping our world and what it’s really like to work at the edge of discovery.</p> - How often does this podcast release new episodes?
This podcast updates daily.
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This podcast is available on 4 platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. You can also use the RSS feed directly.
- Does this podcast accept guests?
No, this podcast does not typically feature guests.
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